VAMPS, THE Japanese rock band formed by and featuring HYDE (L’Arc~en~Ciel) and K.A.Z (Oblivion Dust), will release a new studio album, ‘BLOODSUCKERS’, through Spinefarm Records on March 23rd in the UK/EU and March 24th US.
This 13 track release – produced by VAMPS and Josh Wilbur (whose previous credits include Gojira and Lamb Of God) and housed in the artwork of mysterious Japanese artist Rockin' Jelly Bean – is the follow-up to ‘SEX BLOOD ROCK N’ ROLL’, also issued via Spinefarm in 2013.
Songs on ‘BLOODSUCKERS’, which will be available on CD & download, include ‘WORLD’S END’ (a UK single in 2014, and used in the Sony campaign for the Xperia UK mobile,), ‘GET AWAY’, ‘REPLAY’, ‘THE JOLLY ROGER’ & ‘VAMPIRE’S LOVE’ – not just a Top 3 single in Japan but also the song selected to launch Hollywood blockbuster, ‘Dracula Untold’, in that market.
In addition, ‘REPLAY’ was the theme song of ‘Dark Labyrinth’, one in a series of a world-famous smartphone apps from ‘Dark Summoner’ (the app has been downloaded over six million times), whilst ‘THE JOLLY ROGER’ features in the TV commercial for Nissan’s X-Trail SUV… no surprise then that the album has already been a Top 5 success in Japan…
Says HYDE, who launched VAMPS with K.A.Z in 2008: “‘Bloodsuckers’ is a record that we spent almost one year putting together. For me, this is the best work we’ve done so far, and we would love to tour around the world with these songs…”
‘BLOODSUCKERS’ sees VAMPS pushing their take on contemporary hard rock to exotic new heights, blending melody and message over 50 minutes of dramatic, impassioned music…
“Our aim was to build on the excitement of our headline show at Koko in London last year, and of course our appearance at the Download Festival in the UK,” explains HYDE…
ON THE live front, VAMPS have played over 300 dates around the world in the past five years, including shows in North America; they have also visited the South American continent, where their second album, ‘BEAST’(2010), charted in the Top 4 – a unique achievement for a Japanese act.
Most recently, they completed a run of dates in Japan (33 shows to 65,000 people), climaxing with a worldwide webcast of their Zepp Tokyo show on January 25th.
Next, on February 18th / 19th, VAMPS are hosting & headlining their own festival, ‘VAMPARK FEST’, at the legendary Nippon Budokan in Tokyo – the bill is completed by Special Guests SIXX:A.M., plus Buckcherry, Gerard Way and Nothing More.
Outside of Japan, VAMPS will tour the US with SIXX:AM in April; this major run of dates – which also features Finland’s Apocalyptica – kicks off in in San Francisco on April 8th at The Regency Ballroom.
Says Nikki Sixx of SIXX:A.M. "SIXX:A.M. just played our first Japanese show ever with VAMPS in Tokyo at Budokan. They really gave us our first opportunity to play in front of so many rock fans in Japan. We now want to extend the same to them by bringing them out on tour with us. We can't wait for our fans to discover them all across the US."
VAMPS ‘BLOODSUCKERS’ (International Edition) is available for pre-order via
iTunes now.
Track list
1.REINCARNATION
2. ZERO
3. LIPS
4. WORLD'S END
5. EVIL
6. GHOST
7. VAMPIRE'S LOVE
8. DAMNED
9. GET AWAY
10. REPLAY
11. BLOODSUCKERS
12. THE JOLLY ROGER
13. INSIDE MYSELF
